Petitions by King’s and Cedar Park Christian to transfer from the Cascade Conference to the Emerald City League were denied.

Kim Eng, president of the Emerald City League, confirmed that the league voted against allowing the two schools to join for the 2018-2019 school year.

“We value our relationships with both schools and hope to continue playing them in non-league contests,” Eng wrote in an email Monday afternoon. “We are looking to expand our league in the near future and are excited about the possibilities, however, the timing wasn’t right for us.”

The Emerald City League currently has nine schools from the Seattle area.

South Whidbey High School Athletic Director Paul Lagerstedt said he was notified of the denial at a recent league meeting. He said the Cascade Conference’s athletic directors are currently “in talks” about what the future may hold, but declined to elaborate on the specifics.

“We’re talking as a league to see what would be the best for the league,” Lagerstedt said. “I don’t want to say anything that will hinder the talks.”

“We’ve got good people that are looking out for their schools and the league,” he added.

Cascade Conference President Jason Frederick could not be reached for comment after multiple attempts Thursday and Monday.

Asked if South Whidbey has any plans to leave the league in pursuit of another, Lagerstedt said, “I would say we’re looking at all options and what’s best for our kids and the experience.”

“We still haven’t shut the door on anything. I don’t want to limit our choices,” he added.